Articles | Volume 17, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2261-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2261-2023
Research article
 | 
07 Jun 2023
Research article |  | 07 Jun 2023

Can rifts alter ocean dynamics beneath ice shelves?

Mattia Poinelli, Michael Schodlok, Eric Larour, Miren Vizcaino, and Riccardo Riva

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Short summary
Rifts are fractures on ice shelves that connect the ice on top to the ocean below. The impact of rifts on ocean circulation below Antarctic ice shelves has been largely unexplored as ocean models are commonly run at resolutions that are too coarse to resolve the presence of rifts. Our model simulations show that a kilometer-wide rift near the ice-shelf front modulates heat intrusion beneath the ice and inhibits basal melt. These processes are therefore worthy of further investigation.
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